Can anyone offer me an explanation for the present state of rugby in Australia, as I know naught about our current problems and practices?
I simply just enjoy the game.
To start with the last of the Irish Tests: Australia was able to field a side that competed fiercely but did not get the result. While the loss of Will Genia was a critical factor, the blunt truth is that Ireland were without five of their first choice team because of injuries.
Their captain did not even make the tour. Furthermore, a tour at the end of a long hard season was hardly conducive to a good performance. It might well be that the Wallabies have a way to go before Japan 2019.
I find it hard to share the unbridled enthusiasm of so many. While the current All Blacks may not be quite the team of recent times, we may well need to find further improvement – something not beyond possibility. Er, did I forget to mention the Springboks, Ireland and England?
That brings us to the two games Friday night. The Reds provided a comedy of errors that would be unacceptable in a poor club side – the less said, the better. While the Tahs/Rebels game was enjoyable and interesting enough because of its competitive nature combined with some good passages of play, there were far too many shoddy moments.
Just to start with – how can a mature team throw two intercept passes within two or three minutes of one another? Immaturity? Too much of the passing was dreadful – ones along the ground or at the head and so on were not at all uncommon.
Do we really lack players of the required innate aptitudes, or do we have some sort of structural problems in our conduct of the game, or is there another explanation?
That faults cannot be identified and corrected during the entire careers of players is something that has to be addressed. For example, when does a half start the regular taking of a step (or more) before passing?
The more ingrained habits become, then the more difficult they are to break.
I cannot accept that our coaches in the game are all a lot of dills and that so much of the lack of our skills and thought can be attributed to them.
I have not even begun to touch upon the poor thought you see – a personal peeve – kicking the ball away when you have a man in the bin. Golly, you would need a good reason to do that.
I would like to see the views of those familiar with the modern circumstances of the game. I would like to understand why I saw what I saw Friday night.
Roy Hose
Guest
Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. I was surprised how often comments relating to coaching and associated issues came up. I thought that the various Rugby Boards would be non-stop with the implementation of “train the trainer” programs across the wide spectrum of player groups. (Is Rod Kafer the beginning, or another step along the way?) No doubt getting the right people for the job could be a problem in some circumstances – how do clubs or schools fare when you see some of the enormous numbers involved in some institutions. Would geographic factors be important? Etc? No doubt Boards could pose a range of difficulties in meeting the demand for good coaching regimens. Taylorman, you nailed one of my concerns on the head. Your view that Foley, a long term Wallaby no less, played poorly and made his USUAL allocation of missed touch kicks and errors goes to the heart of my complaint that faults may not be identified and corrected during the course of entire careers. (I might add here that a senior, respected rugby journo once told me that one day when he was watching the Wallabies train, he could not believe the rubbish he was seeing.) If indeed coaching is a problem as has been suggested, then there is no point in lambasting the team of invaluable and willing volunteers and semi-professionals – the people who carry so much of the workload. Do the people in the management organizations in Australian rugby get paid to manage the game? If so, there lies the responsibility for addressing the problems in our game.
Stu V.
Guest
Roy, this one is easy to answer, simply the front office, loaded with members from the same old school tie club filling in time until they may exit with another handsome golden handshake, having a world search for an international coach then appointing a journeyman from the same little club who appears blinkered and still on trainer wheels and to top it of shrinking the national rugby foot print, failing to encourage and, up-skill school age kids by the thousands, just leave it to the mums, dads and amateur volunteers. Every year us lemming fans expressing hope and light at the end of 17 long tunnels dreaming of just winning something worthwhile. Cheers mate!
jimbo81
Guest
"Macqueen levels of world domination" GOOD MAN!
CHUCKED
Guest
good article
AndrewJ
Guest
Jake White should have been appointed as Wallabies coach. If he had, Australian rugby would be much better off in terms of coaching standards and player retention.
jeznez
Roar Guru
I think this weekend most teams just showed a bit of ring rust with the majority of players not having played for a few weeks. If you look at the Waratahs v Reds match at Ballymore a few weeks ago, the handling was excellent. Best I've seen from Aussie teams in a long time and I think evidence of what Byrne has been doing. Sure there is a huge amount of improvement needed if the goal is to get back to Macqueen levels of world domination but there are some greenshoots there this year.
piru
Roar Rookie
Because they don't need basic skills to be selected and contracted. And then once they are selected they aren't working hard enough on them Again, coaches.
Bobo the Clown
Guest
I am the problem.
Wag
Guest
I agree with the points that you have raised, Roy --- especially the tendancy by Oz teams to give the ball back to the opposition with such poor, inane kicking !!. Also the question raised by MH01 about how do players get to Super Rugby level with such poor skills? And did RA not employ Mick Byrnes as a SKILLS coach?? I can see little improvement in our skills since his appointment, given the points that you have raised. I think that we do have (just) enough talent to field a quite good Wallabies side, but I agree with you that such basic errors MUST be eliminated.
taylorman
Roar Guru
Good article, and not a decision mentioned, which unfortunately means youll get few answers, cos its all about the refs and tmos these days. The Brumbies provided the best oz moments and for the tahs others stepped up at key moments in the absence of Folau and Hooper, Foley, Phipps and Hannigan worth a mention. Three players who most fans simply will not support, all contributed to the win big time. Foley because of his never say die attitude. Despite playing poorly and making his usual allocation of missed touch kicks and errors he still found a way to remain focussed on the objective where judging by most comments here tahs fans had once again completely given up on him at that point. Lucky for them Foley didnt. A great test of character... Foley I mean. So yes some skills are lacking but the fight is still there, just a pity sone fans have given up before its over. Cheika and his boys have huge challenges ahead and I think will show more grit in this years RC at the business end but those injuries are a concern. Orhers need to keep standing up.
MH01
Guest
My belief is that the Oz coaches are average at best. I was shocked what Jake White achieved with a bunch of no names. The real question, how do these players get to SR with such poor skills